How to unlock a sprint Iphone 5s for which I paid full price?

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How to unlock a sprint Iphone 5s for which I paid full price?

On a trip to the US, planed especifaclly to be after the release of the new Iphone, I bought a sprint Iphone 5s for full unlocked price ($650) to be used overseas from a apple store in dadeland, Fl. I discussed my intention of use overseas with apple staff, who told me it should work but if I need to use it in the US it will only work with sprint. I got to my country, El Salvador, and to my suprise it gives an invalid SIM message. After contacting Apple customer service it appears apple can't unlock the phone remotly, Sprint has to do it. I called Sprint customer service,who after a 2 hour wait, tell me they can't unlock the phone until I have at least 3 billed months with Sprint. This was never said by apple staff at the store. After calling apple customer service again they tell me I can take it back to the store for an exchange, which would be great if I wasnt in a different country making it inpossible.

I am a long apple customer having purchase from them an endless amount of products and their customer service has been real friendly and trying to help with my problem, even calling me to give me update. But at the end of the day I just want to use the phone which I purchased so I need a solution to my problem.

How can I unlock a phone for which I paid full unlocked money to be used in my country, without hacking it or jail breaking it?

iPhone 5s, iOS 7.0.2

Posted on Oct 4, 2013 1:56 PM

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Answer 1

deggie

Level 10

167,177 points

Oct 4, 2013 2:40 PM in response to czarrey

You didn't pay for unlocked, you paid for no contract. If you had paid $49 more you could have purchased a T-Mobile model which is unlocked or you could have purchased a Verizon which has the GSM sid of theirs unlocked.

This is the problem/risk in buying a phone from one country to use in another. Plus you have no way to get warranty service in the US.

At this point in time there is no hack or jailbreak available for iOS 7 so you will have to wait for awhile to use your iPhone. Or you can sell in on eBay to someone who uses Sprint and get another phone. Or if you know someone in the US send it to them and have them return it.

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Answer 2

Oct 4, 2013 3:03 PM in response to czarrey

Unfortunately, unlocking devices is 100% up to the carrier who the device is locked to. So if sprint will not do it for you it sounds like we have to wait for that three months billed service to pass... OR mail the device to someone you trust in the US and have them swap it out.

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Answer 3

Oct 4, 2013 3:12 PM in response to colingoree

They still have access to warranty. The device just has to come back to the US.

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Answer 4

borkur

Level 1

19 points

Oct 5, 2013 6:10 PM in response to czarrey

Hey, czarrey the same excact thing happened to me only that I live in Iceland. I reached out to the store manager since I got the wrong information at the store and got this reply.

--------

Hello

Sprint has just announced there should be a resolution with the unlocking of the iPhone within a week. We will provide an update as soon as possible. We appreciate your patience. Thank you.

Regards,

Apple Fifth Avenue

767 5th Avenue

New York, NY 10153

212.336.1440

fifthavenue@apple.com

http://www.apple.com/retail/fifthavenue

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Answer 5

borkur

Level 1

19 points

Oct 25, 2013 2:16 PM in response to borkur

Took almost 3 weeks instead of the 1 but I can confirm now that my 2 phones are unlocked.

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Answer 6

czarrey Author

Level 1

0 points

Oct 25, 2013 2:19 PM in response to borkur

I am also happy to inform my problem has been resolved!

Thanks to everyone who chipped in!

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Answer 7

Nov 19, 2013 7:28 PM in response to czarrey

Hi CZARREY,

How did you unlock your Sprint Iphone 5?

Thanks

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Answer 8

czarrey Author

Level 1

0 points

Nov 20, 2013 6:13 AM in response to fabimorim

Fabimorim,

When I first bought it was blocked outside the US even though I paid full unlocked price.

The phone unlocked itself outside the US (where I mostly use it), but I still have to use Sprint in the US.

From what I understand it happened automatically to all phones, but I did email Apple Fifth ave as an advice from @borkur, so maybe it had something to do with that. They told me the problem would be fix in about a week which ended being about 3 from the time I purchase it. Below is the email address of the store (from which I didnt purchase the phone)

Hope this help.

"

borkur

This solved my questionRe: How to unlock a sprint Iphone 5s for which I paid full price?

05-oct-2013 18:10 (in response to czarrey)

Hey, czarrey the same excact thing happened to me only that I live in Iceland. I reached out to the store manager since I got the wrong information at the store and got this reply.

--------

Hello

Sprint has just announced there should be a resolution with the unlocking of the iPhone within a week. We will provide an update as soon as possible. We appreciate your patience. Thank you.

Regards,

Apple Fifth Avenue

767 5th Avenue

New York, NY 10153

212.336.1440

fifthavenue@apple.com

http://www.apple.com/retail/fifthavenue"

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Answer 9

Dec 1, 2013 4:58 PM in response to czarrey

@czarrey & @borkur, have the same device coming from the US to overseas. Fear the same situation will happen.

May I ask you if the moment you opened your claim to the Apple store you had to declare your iPhone's IMEI or serial number to the store?

The big question: if you did not provide any details, then there are chances all have been unlocked for international use. If you forwarded your details to the Apple Store, then there are chances that the solution was particular for your case.

Thanks!

Nico

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Answer 10

borkur

Level 1

19 points

Dec 1, 2013 8:12 PM in response to madmaxcares

Hi @madmaxcares.

I sent the apple store the receipt for the phones I bought. I guess they can see the imei number from there so I'm not sure. They didn't specifically ask me for my imei.

regards,

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Answer 11

czarrey Author

Level 1

0 points

Dec 2, 2013 5:53 AM in response to madmaxcares

@madmaxcares

I sent them information and a copy of my receipt as well, but to tell you the truth I think it was a glitch in their system, it started working one day. I hope you dont have a problem

Post if your phone works out of the box.

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Answer 12

Dec 2, 2013 3:21 PM in response to czarrey

@borkur & @czarrey, will try it next week and let you know. Thanks for the input!

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Answer 13

Jan 17, 2014 5:58 AM in response to borkur

@borkur Ég keypti mér iphone 5s í bandaríkjunum og hann er að sömu tegund og þinn.. Enn það virðist enginn geta unlockað hann fyrir mig! Hvernig tókst þér að láta gera það???

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Answer 14

Mar 20, 2014 8:36 AM in response to borkur

I am also have the similar question. I had buy it in US trip with fully prices. But the iPhone it's still have some yellow band on the top of screen, on 27th Feb I had change a new one in Apple Store Crock Park. Now I am in China how can I unlock my iPhone 5s. Thank you very appreciate.

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Answer 15

KiltedTim

Level 10

195,141 points

Mar 20, 2014 8:41 AM in response to wangkinney

You bought the wrong phone. Sell it and buy one you can use.

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